There's a bunch of smart people

Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines

A few months ago at the end of this column I asked for the original owners of muscle cars to drop me a line, either with good, old snail mail or by today's fancy thinking box--the computer--with photos of their cars back whenever and today. The response started out slowly and the first one to respond was Bud Eidem of Nebraska. Bud, you see, came across a 1969 Road Runner with a 440 Six Barrel engine, the Dodge guys called it a Six Pack. Whatever. It was a trio of Holleys atop an Edelbrock manifold and made tons of power. The car came with black painted rims, chrome lugs and red streak tires. No frills. Just performance. Oh yeah, it had the wildest cold air hood to ever come out of Detroit. This one was fiberglass and came without hinges. To check the oil, or do any other maintenance, one had to lift the hood off.
Bud bought a Six Barrel car with an automatic because his then girlfriend, now wife, could not drive a four-speed. He paid $2,900. He drove the car as the family chariot, dropping the kids off at school, going to work and other errands. Wow, I used to get dropped at school in my mom's 1959 Ford wagon. Anyway, through thick and thin, Bud kept the car and drove it in the frigid Nebraska winters. He said during winter, the carbs would freeze up. Last year, he turned down $60,000 for the car, a little more than 20 times what he paid for the car 37 years ago. Smart man.
Well, it turns out, there are many other smart folks out there, who bought their muscle cars and through children, job changes, job loss, job transfer, military obligations, divorce and serious illness, have managed to hold onto them. In this issue, you will read the stories about these people who had the foresight to keep their cars and not succumb to the craziness that is sweeping this country when it comes to the prices of muscle cars. Even with gasoline at $3 per gallon, more for high test, the money being paid for these economically unfriendly cars is nothing short of astronomical. We saw a 1970 Hemi 'Cuda convertible sell for $2 million last winter in Arizona.
So, I hope you, the readers, enjoy the stories you will see in this issue about the original owners and their cars--most of which are worth more to them than any amount of money, because they were just cars back in the day, not rapidly appreciating works of art. They had monthly car payments of roughly $90, a lot of money then, but the car each person bought was, in many cases, the primary mode of transportation. I remember filling these cars up with gas at the Sunoco where I worked as a teen. One of my regular customers drove a Mr. Norm Grand Spaulding Demon with a supercharger. He would stop every Friday night and I remember that blower whine like yesterday. One Friday in 1970, a 1969 Six Barrel car, like Bud's, with a lift-off hood pulled in. "Fill it with 260 kid," he said. The boss told us to ask to check the oil in every car and clean the windshield. Remember that? I asked the driver if he wanted the oil checked. He said no. I was crushed. I knew there were three Holleys under that hood and I had to see them.
For those of you who submitted photos of cars and your incredible stories that did not get selected, it's because we quickly ran out of space. Ed Heys--my right-hand man--and I worked long hours to select the best stories and photos to entertain you this month. We plan to run additional submissions in a future issue.
I want to include one story that did not make the cut. In August 1970, Ed Derby of Connecticut bought a new 1970 Chevelle SS in striking Cranberry Red with black stripes. It had a 396/350hp V-8 and Turbo Hydra-Matic. He paid $4,065 out the door and still has the original window sticker, invoice, Protect-O-Plate and registration. About 80 percent of the factory paint remains and the car has 47,900 miles. Ed was engaged to his now wife, Bev, and they bought this car while engaged. To buy it, Ed sold his 1969 Corvette with a 427-435hp engine, a present to himself after his return from Vietnam. This car meant more and the Derbys still own their Chevelle.
Beginning with our last issue, you no doubt noticed a new face writing a column. Terry McGean, formerly of Car Craft, loves muscle cars and knows more about these cars than many older guys. He has several cars, including a 1969 Camaro and 1996 Impala SS.
Terry is replacing Ken Gross, a nationally-known automotive journalist who has written for HMM since its inception more than three years ago. Ken's columns were enjoyable and no one knows hot rods better. Ken is a true gentleman, but we decided to replace him with Terry, who has muscle cars on the brain and will be better suited for our readers. Thank you, Ken, for three great years.

This article originally appeared in the October, 2006 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.